Introduction of diesel engines, fast catcher boats, and exploding-tipped harpoon cannons allows fast-swimming rorqual whales to be targeted for the first time. Serial depletion of species follows in an even shorter time scale than before, beginning with the largest and most profitable species to hunt.

1900 – 1915:

Peak of 20th century Humpback Whale kill (hunt lasting 1900 – 1962)

1932:

Whaling nations adopt Blue Whale Unit (bwu) quota, encouraging hunting of larger species. This economic-based quota benefited only the whalers, and gave no consideration to the biology or population size (ie. decline) of different whale species.

1925 – 1935:

Peak of 20th century Blue Whale kill (hunt lasting 1910 – 1962)

1935 – 1940:

Peak of 20th century Fin Whale kill (hunt lasting 1910 – 1975)

1939:

World War II begins. Whales earn a temporary reprieve from the slaughter.

1945:

World War II ends. Whaling resumes in earnest – fuelled by post-war industrial boom, new technology, and surplus ships and equipment.

Massive illegal and unreported whale kill, estimated at over 90,000 whales (including over 46,000 Humpbacks killed by the Soviets alone (while reporting only 8,000) – representing the entire recovery population of that species).

Under pressure from conservation nations, IWC finally votes to implement Moratorium on commercial whaling.
Japan, Norway, Iceland, Peru, and USSR object so are not bound by it.

1983:

Peru withdraws its objection to the moratorium and stops whaling.

1986:

Moratorium on whaling supposed to take effect.
Japan continues hunting as before, now under the loophole of ‘scientific’ research. Iceland and Korea follow suit.

1987:

Soviet whaling finally ceases, followed by Korea.

1987 – 2005:

Japan continually tries to overturn the moratorium, repeatedly requesting the IWC set quotas and calling for a vote to allow a return to commercial hunting.
Every year Japan loses the vote as the IWC votes to uphold the moratorium.

Iceland ends its ‘scientific’ whaling program amid concerns its main purpose is to export meat to Japan. Nevertheless, exports continue for another 3 years.

1992:

Iceland leaves the IWC.

1993:

Norway resumes commercial whaling in defiance of the IWC Moratorium (claiming that since it objected it is not bound by the rules).
Japan updates its pelagic whaling fleet with the launch of new whaling ships – making its intentions plain to the world!

1994:

Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary created by IWC (the vote is unanimous – except for Japan).
Japan ignores the sanctuary and continues its kill under the guise of ‘scientific’ research.
Japan expands its ‘scientific’ whaling programme to also include an annual kill of whales in the North Pacific Ocean.

late 1990s – present:

Japan bribes many small countries to vote with it at the IWC, seeking to overturn the Moratorium on commercial whaling by any means it can.

2000:

In addition to Minke whales, Bryde’s whales now hunted by Japan, along with Sperm whales.

2002:

Iceland rejoins the IWC, lodging an immediate objection to the moratorium on commercial whaling (despite the fact it had originally agreed to it in 1986), claiming it is also not bound by the rules.

2003:

Iceland resumes whaling under the guise of ‘scientific’ whaling, despite the programme having the same aims as its 1986-89 ‘research’ programme – of which no results were ever published.

2006:

Japan manages to buy enough votes at the IWC to win the vote declaring a ban on whaling is no longer necessary, and accusing whales of eating “huge quantities of fish”.
Japan announces another expansion of its ‘scientific’ whaling programme, including an increased catch of Minke whales plus endangered Fin, Sei, and Humpback whales.
Iceland announces a return to full-scale commercial hunting.

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